Brian -
I am sorry to hear you are having such pain. I have 13 years experience with chronic back pain, back research, all types of therapies, meds, etc... So I empathize!
Nerve pain can be from a number of things. For example, the disc itself has nerves which are pain generators, facets joints, stenosis, etc ...
I am wondering if you had a discogram before your surgery to see if your pain could be re-produced? Would it be both discs, one disc, no disc but something different, etc ...
If it were me, I would try hard to find the pain source, confirm it, then see what options exist. If surgery, yes, ADR. I would look at all the clinical trials available if I had financial issues (clinicaltrials.gov), or find a center willing to do it and work out a payment plan.
Postponing it until insurance may approve is a tough option. they may never approve or the fight itself will kill you first
There are many medications, many for nerve pain if you want to manage it until it becomes a point of life enjoyment and function vs taking your best shot. My personal feeling is once you disc is truly herniated with a annular tear, everything just manages it, but they don't heal, and everything after that is a question of function-ability vs your best fix option. Find the true source of the pain and remove it.
I hope the best for you.
Ken